The investigations are designed to isolate the mechanisms that are responsible for alcohol-induced impairment of the storage of new information. Previous research in verbal learning has suggested that a critical factor in the acquisition of new information is the development of meaningful relationships among the items to be learned. When subjects attempt to incorporate new information while they are intoxicated, they may not be able to fully utilize prior information. On the other hand, perhaps they are capable of utilizing prior information but are simply less likely to try to utilize it. Several experimental procedures are being developed to differentiate between these possibilities. The effects of alcohol on the consolidation of information once it has been stored will also be studied.